A Menifee man charged with conning two women in their 70s out of tens of thousands of dollars â" using tearful pleas that he needed the money for lifesaving surgeries â" was convicted years ago in Orange County in a similar scam, authorities said.

âThis guy is a creep,â said Investigator Glenn Johnson of the Riverside County Sheriffâs Department. âHis whole life is conning women.â

Frankie Jay Szabo, 55, who lives in the Sun City area, pleaded not guilty Wednesday, Aug. 15, to two counts each of grand theft and embezzlement from an elder, court records show. He was being held with no bail amount set, jail records show.

Szabo is accused of convincing a 70-year-old Homeland woman to take out a loan on her house to fund a surgery that was supposedly necessary to save his stepfatherâs life, Johnson said.

In the second case, Johnson said, Szabo took $10,000 from a 71-year-old Lake Elsinore woman on the pretense that it was, again, a loan for a life-saving surgery, this time for himself. The woman took the money out of her retirement fund, he said. Szabo promised both women he would pay them back.

In fact, neither man was in need of surgery. The money was used to purchase a Mercedes, meals at restaurants and shopping trips, Johnson said.

âItâs financing his lifestyle,â he said.

One of the women fears she may lose her house to foreclosure, Johnson said. âSheâs petrified.â

Johnson described Szabo as a âCasanovaâ who quickly ingratiates himself to women with âa hug here, a hug thereâ and offers of help. Then, he said, Szabo literally goes crying to them, begging for money.

Had the women searched for Szaboâs name on the Internet, they might have discovered his background. A Los Angeles Times article from 1997 is headlined âsmooth talking con artist now just a conâ and quoted his victims as saying heâs sure to con again.

Court records show Szabo pleaded guilty in Orange County to nine counts of grand theft and was sentenced to two years in prison.

The recent cases came to light after a relative of the Lake Elsinore woman noticed the withdrawal from her account. Szaboâs parole officer searched his car and home, discovering evidence of theft from the other woman, Johnson said.

Szabo is on parole for a stalking conviction, he said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Johnson at 951-201-0540 or email PerrisStation@RiversideSheriff.org.

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